Being The Change After Obama High School

I had the opportunity to speak with Erika Mangual, a 2012 graduate of Pittsburgh Obama, now attending Point Park University, and she spoke of many great things. For those who don’t know, Point Park University is an performing arts school. Mangual praised Pittsburgh Obama for preparing her mentally for college, “Obama has definitely prepared me for my education at Point Park University. Obama is a school that challenges you mentally, and that is what college is all about. You must be a critical thinker….Obama instiols in students the idea of becoming a critical thinker and a hard working student.” She goes into a little bit of detail about her stay at Point Park University. It wasn’t her “dream school” per say, but it certainly worked in her favor. Attending Point Park University allowed her to build friendships and relationships with other students, professors, and business men/women. “…Point Park is located in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh, allowing students to have the option to pursue an ocean of opportunities. ” In Erika Mangual’s case, studying and being open minded plays a key role in her everyday college life. “It is impossible for me to pass an exam without studying…Also it is important to remain open minded. Being open to meeting new friends, networking, new ideas, new clubs, and building new relationships will result in a successful college year.” She advises students to do those two things, but she believes it is best to start doing so in high school, so in college it is like a second nature.

Erika is open minded to making a difference not only in her community, but in the world. She feels so strongly about making a change that she got involved in an organization for homeless children, the Homeless Children’s Education Fund. “Although I have only been volunteering for a short period of time…I fell in love with it. The Stand Up for Children Art Installation is when you stand in silence for 15 minutes while holding a drawing of a face of a child.” In the beginning, this Art Installation was only performed at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, but Mangual was determined to introduce this wonderful event to Point Park University. People wonder why they should involve themselves in these kind of events. Simply because the statistics of the amount of homelessness that occurs among our children is truly unbelievable. If we don’t make a change, who will? It starts with us. High school students are more than welcomed to be apart of this event by meeting at Point Park, on October 17th, from 4:45-5:15pm. Please get involved, you have no idea how important your input is. “Your time and dedication can make a difference in the lives of others.”